Recent Posts

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Influencer Marketing Instructor; photo from the LIDA agency ad campaign for the Jeff Koons rabbit sculpture… The following is the text of a speech I gave May 23 at an Influencers Industry Social Mixer sponsored by Erka Media. Once upon a time there lived two kings whose wealth was counted in the billions…Read More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Planner of Marketing… A friend who runs an ad agency told me he just declined a prospective client. Even though that prospect was a great guy with a great business, he refused to pay for a campaign plan, and would only pay for the production work. I told my friend that I, too, would have passed. I see a marketing plan as the blueprint, the screenplay, the treasure map, so it’s undervalued at even $10,000 or $20,000. A plan also drawsRead More

by Jeffrey Hirsch, USC Adjunct Professor + President/Founder of The Right Brain Studio; featured image by Hirsch; this piece originally appeared on The Right Brain Studio blog… On April 3, 2019, Adweek reported that “Droga5, the creative agency known for its acclaimed campaigns for brands like Chase, Google, HBO, IHOP, The New York Times and Under Armour, has agreed to be acquired in full by Accenture Interactive, the marketing arm of international consulting firm Accenture.”Read More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Influencer Marketing Professor… With the influencer business fraught with fraud — all while flaunting “authenticity” — what better way to reveal truth than pointed satire?Read More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Likes Being Heard, Not Herded; photo by davide ragusa on Unsplash… Investors, entrepreneurs, and execs all love talking about “disruption,” so much so that they’ve worn out the word. But few companies can deliver that level of innovative thinking. The reason?Read More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + College Grad Still Deciding What He Should Have Majored In; image credit – modification of photo by Jakub Kriz on Unsplash… As much as I love reading and writing, I was just reminded how much I fear and loathe the study of it. Decades ago in high school, I enjoyed discussing The Heart of Darkness and Grapes of Wrath, and hearing the myriad ways we teenagers misused the word “irony.” Then I entered college and slammed into the GREAT FOG BANKRead More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Consultant to Nonprofits, Dotcoms, and Dreamers; photo by Kat Yukawa on Unsplash… What do charity organizations and most Web 2.0 companies have in common? None make a profit. (Apparently, someone convinced dotcoms that .) But they all still have prices — just not in the traditional sense of numbers on a tag…Read More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + LinkedIn Semi-Enthusiast… On the surface, this sounds good: social media platforms like LinkedIn are now promoting “higher quality” posts and burying junk posts. What’s not to love?Read More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Knows Jargon Enough To Avoid It; image by Mabdul via Wikimedia Commons… Many companies readily blame the competition for their struggles. For example, how many lackluster retailers have you seen blame Amazon? In many cases, it’s their marketing (or lack of it) holding them back…Read More

What In The World Is Atomic Tango?

Founded in the year ‘007 by Professor Freddy Tran Nager, Atomic Tango is an L.A.-based marketing-and-media firm that specializes in critical thinking and creative daring. Here you’ll also find Freddy’s official musings on marketing, media, and other mischief. So whether you’re seeking enlightenment or entertainment, pull up an Eames, pour yourself a cold one, and enjoy…